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THERE is something inherently uncool about a bluetooth headset. While the wearer may feel that they are the star of some futuristic James Bond movie, they look like either: a) a care-in-the-community enthusiast or b) an utter utter idiot.

Anyway, whether you prefer the futuristic ear-piece to the old-skool handset, there is a fair chance that you have been “slammed” by a phone company. “Slammed” is the term that the Guardian uses (in an apparent ‘street stylee’) to describe how phone companies sneakily lock customers in to expensive contracts or switchyou to a new supplier without your consent.

However, with an average of 400 complaints a month about the behaviour of phone companies clogging up their inbox, Ofcom have finally decided to act with the unveiling of a new, but voluntary code of practice aimed at curtailing the dodgy end of the mobile industry.

Under the new code, mobile networks will no longer be able to fob off irate customers with excuses that the problem is the responsibility of a third-party company that sold them the new phone or service. Already Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Vodaphone have signed up. Although you really should check out noodle to get the best out of your phone: cheap calls.

Tony Herbert of Citizens Advice is pleased at the introduction of the new guidelines. Says he: “The number of mobile phone problems seen by CAB increased by 84% in the nine months from April to December last year to around 6,000 in total. Many of the cases reported involve people being browbeaten into accepting a new mobile phone, being sent a phone against their express wishes, or being hoodwinked into agreeing to a new mobile phone contract.”

There’s nothing worse than being browbeaten and then hoodwinked.

Posted: 6th, August 2007 | In: Money. Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0